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In this chapter we will introduce you to 20 learning strategies that you can teach to your
students to improve their learning of the foreign language.

As we emphasized in the preceding chapter, extensive research into learning

strategies reveals the importance and relevance of this instruction for language students.
However, as experienced teachers, we know that incorporating a new approach into our
instruction is not an easy task. This chapter focuses on preparing both teachers and
students for learning strategies instruction. We begin by answering some of the most
commonly asked questions about learning strategies. We also share the techniques and
explain the importance of establishing a learner-centered environment in the classroom
before beginning strategies instruction.

   
 

       
 
At this point, you may be thinking, "Twenty learning strategies? How do I find the
time to teach 20 learning strategies instruction in my already full schedule of teaching
language skills?" And even more importantly, you may be thinking about your students:
"How receptive will they be to learning strategies? How do I prepare them for learning
strategies instruction?" Explicit strategies instruction may entail not only a new
experience for you and your students, but also new roles in the learning process. The
purpose of this section is to respond to these important questions and provide
suggestions for getting started with learning strategies instruction.

It is important to distinguish between teaching strategies and learning strategies.

Think about yourself in two different roles - as a language teacher and as a language
student. Look at Table 1 below for examples of strategies you might use as a teacher
and those you might use as a student.

 
 
         

       
Activate your students' prior
Think about what you already know
Background knowledge in order to build
about a topic to help you learn more
Knowledge new material on what they
about it.
already know.
Link new material to your Think about how language
Personalize students' knowledge and constructions in the language you are
experiences using guiding studying compare with those of your
 questions or other activities.
Create a meaningful context for
your students by accompanying
Use Imagery
new information with figures,
illustrations, and photographs.
native language and relate new
information to your own ideas and
experiences.
Associate new information with a
mental or printed picture to help you
learn it.

Learning strategies take different forms. Strategies like ! 
 , in which
students derive meaning from context, are mental processes that are difficult to observe.
Other strategies like " #  
$! %  can be easily observed and
measured. What is important for the purpose of this guide is that strategies can be
learned.

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There are a number of different names and classification systems for learning
strategies (for a very good review see Hsiao & Oxford, 2002). There are few "rights"
and "wrongs" in learning strategies taxonomies, but specific ways of organizing the
strategies can be useful for different teaching situations. Here, we have provided you
with a list of 20 commonly used and effective language learning strategies grouped in a
way that we think will help you seamlessly integrate strategies instruction into your FL
classroom teaching. Students can use these strategies to improve their skills in reading,
writing, speaking, listening, master grammatical features, increase their vocabulary, and
learn content.

We have divided the 20 strategies into two categories: "Metacognitive" and "Task-
Based." The Metacognitive Strategies can be used for almost any task and are based on
reflecting on one's own thinking while the Task-Based Learning Strategies are more
determined by the specific nature of the task and the resources of the student.

 )       

Metacognitive learning strategies are general learning strategies. Reflecting upon

your own thinking and learning is metacognitive thinking. Once students begin to think
about their own learning, they can then begin to notice how they learn, how others
learn, and how they might adjust how they learn to learn more efficiently. We list four
general metacognitive strategies:

RY  
$* åour Own Learning
RY  åour Own Learning
RY  åour Own Learning
RY K) åour Own Learning
 These metacognitive strategies follow the sequential order of the process a learner
generally goes through in accomplishing any task. What do I do before I start?
( 
$*) What do I do while I am working on the task? ( ) How do I
make sure I am doing the task correctly? ( ) What do I do after I have finished
the task? (K) ) It is important to remember, however, that learners are not as linear
as our models suggest. In reality, we go back and forth: planning, then monitoring, then
planning again, managing, organizing, etc.

+!,+     
   

The "Task-Based Learning Strategies" focus on how students can use their own
resources to learn most effectively. There are 16 task-based strategies in the list. We
have divided them into four categories that are grouped by the kinds of resources
students already have, or can get, to help them complete specific tasks. By focusing
students' attention on their resources, we emphasize their ability to take responsibility
for their own learning. The four categories are

RY Use What You Know

RY Use Your Imagination
RY Use Your Organizational Skills
RY Use a Variety of Resources

Within each of these four groups, you will find specific strategies that are
examples of what the students can do with these resources to help them learn. For
example, in the group "Use What You Know" we include " +! 
-  , ! 
 , ! * , and  
$"  .

A diagram follows that puts the relationship between the Metacognitve and the
Task-Based Learning Strategies in graphic form.
 Looking through the list of strategies, you might think that people use learning
strategies one at a time and that learning strategies are clearly delimited in function and
in use. Reality, of course, is never that simple. Many learning tasks are accomplished
using a number of different learning strategies, sometimes simultaneously and
sometimes in sequence. However, teaching learning strategies one-by-one, giving each
one a name and a definition, and using examples, gives you a way to talk to your
students about thinking and learning. It gives the students a way to talk to themselves
about their own thinking. You develop a common vocabulary that will then allow you
and your students to talk about how to choose and integrate strategies for different kinds
of language learning tasks.

Below you will find the "Learning Strategies List for Students." This list outlines
the language learning strategies discussed above; it provides names for the strategies,
descriptions of strategies, a picture of a key concept related to the meaning of each
learning strategy, and a keyword that might be used with students to help them
remember the strategy. You will probably want to teach the names of the strategies in
the target language. Learning Strategies Lists in Arabic, Chinese, French, German,
Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish
can be found in the Appendices. You can copy the list in English and/or in the target
language to distribute to your students.

K.%%# .K#K 

K#%/K .K#K
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RY Plan the task or content sequence.
RY Set goals.
Organize / Plan
RY Plan how to accomplish the task.
Calendar

RY cetermine how you learn best.

RY Arrange conditions that help you learn.
Manage Your Own
RY Seek opportunities for practice.
Learning
Pace Yourself RY Focus your attention on the task.

While working on a task:

RY Check your progress on the task.

RY Check your comprehension as you use the
Monitor
language. Are you understanding?
Check RY Check your production as you use the
language. Are you making sense?

After completing a task:

RY Assess how well you have accomplished

the learning task.
Evaluate RY Assess how well you have applied the
I did it! strategies.
RY cecide how effective the strategies were
in helping you accomplish the task.

 -+ Kc .K#K 0" K'&1"-%'

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RY Think about and use what you already
Use Background know to help you do the task.
Knowledge RY Make associations.
I know.
RY Use context and what you know to figure
Make Inferences
out meaning.
 Use Clues RY Read and listen between the lines.

RY Anticipate information to come.

RY Make logical guesses about what will
Make Predictions
happen.
Crystal Ball

RY Relate new concepts to your own life, that

is, to your experiences, knowledge, beliefs
Personalize
and feelings.
Me

RY Apply your linguistic knowledge of other

languages (including your native
Transfer / Use telephone/ language) to the target language.
Cognates telefono/ RY Recognize cognates.
Telefon/
telefon
RY Think of a similar word or descriptive
Substitute / phrase for words you do not know in the
Paraphrase target language.
Spare Tire

 -+ Kc .K#K 0" K1".#%%

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RY Use or create an image to understand
Use Imagery and/or represent information.
Mirror, Mirror
RY Act out and/or imagine yourself in
different roles in the target language.
Use Real Objects /
Lights, RY Manipulate real objects as you use the
Role Play
Camera, target language.
Action!
 -+ Kc .K#K 0" K1"..#%2% -
   c  
RY Apply a rule.
Find/Apply RY Make a rule.
Patterns Pattern RY Sound out and apply letter/sound rules.

RY Relate or categorize words or ideas

Group/Classify according to attributes.
Sort Suits
Use Graphic RY Use or create visual representations (such
Organizers/Take as Venn diagrams, time lines, and charts)
Èotes Èotepad of important relationships between
concepts.
RY Write down important words and ideas.

RY Create a mental, oral, or written summary

Summarize of information

Main Idea
RY Focus on specific information, structures,
Use Selective
key words, phrases, or ideas.
Attention Look for It

 -+ Kc .K#K 0" K/.K13.K ".K

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RY Use the dictionary, the internet, and other
reference materials.
Access
RY Seek out and use sources of information.
Information
Read all about RY Follow a model
Sources
it! RY Ask questions

RY Work with others to complete tasks, build

Cooperate confidence, and give and receive feedback.

Together
RY Use your inner resources. Reduce your
Talk Yourself anxiety by reminding yourself of your
Through It progress, the resources you have available,
(SelfTalk) I can do it! and your goals.